peculiarities
by DrakoSquirtle
Summary: Perhaps she was never meant to be a part of his story. She wonders, why then, she fell in love. {MCU Gwen/Peter}


Gwen Stacy loved Peter Parker.

It was a peculiar thing really.

She had never talked to the boy; good lord, she wasn't even sure if she had glanced his way before.

But for some reason or the other, she found herself gazing towards him in her Chemistry Lab. She was drawn to him the way a moth was drawn to a light, or a lost traveller drawn to refuge.

Without care, nor caution.

And so, if you were to ask the young science prodigy when _exactly_ she had "fallen in love", she couldn't quite tell you)

_(although she deduces it was sometime during Physics class and Lunch)_

* * *

Gwen Stacy hated Spider-Man.

It was a natural thing really.

Her father – being the Chief of Police as he was – seared this hate of heroes within her; and for the most part, it made _sense_.

"_It's like this Gwendy," _he says one night during dinner, _"these masked menaces go around 'boom-boom-blasting' anything that comes their way; but who's left to pick up the pieces when they leave? Us. Where are they when the city's in rubble? When they're millions of innocent lives lost? Nowhere."_

But Gwen would furrow her brow, millions of arguments racing through her mind. "_they're only trying to help dad."_

And her father would always chuckle; not out of amusement or humour, but rather something else. "_It isn't __**help**__ when the lives of the innocent are at stake sweetie," _he replies coldly,

"_it's selfishness."_

After that day Gwen threw out any Captain America related memorabilia. She stopped participating during Spider-Man Mania week at school, and even switched her favourite ice-cream from Stark Ravin' Hazelnuts to plain Vanilla.

She was so sure that she finally understood what it meant to be heroic, and what it meant to be selfish; and those heroes – _that Spider-man –_ were no heroes at all.

* * *

Gwen Stacy loved Peter Parker, but she knew the value of her popularity.

More importantly she knew her worth; and when it came to social hierarchy, she was worth her own weight in gold.

She walked down the hallways and parted them like the red sea; her fellow peers, like fish, prancing to get a glimpse of her 'glory'.

Although she never quite understood why her classmates were so enamoured with her.

Sure, she was friends with important people (Harry Osborn _**was**_ the son of the President of Oscorp), and sure she was quite attractive by high school standards… but… but there had to be something more than that right?

Right?

And anyhow, what did it matter?

"_it's all just a load of rubbish anyway," _she thinks to herself one day, eyes darting around the hallway – trying to look for that boyish face. After a few more moments she gives up; resigning in defeat, and subsequently walking faster.

"_Hey Gwen! Wait up, will ya?" _

Gwen rolls her eyes, "_no point in slowing down Harry. It's not like I've got a special someone waiting for me ."_

* * *

Gwen Stacy hated Spider-Man, but she had to admit… there were moments when she was grateful for him.

It was supposed to be normal a Tuesday evening commute to Manhattan; her subway racing away on top of the Queensboro Bridge.

She gripped the porcelain railing that she was leaning against tightly. There was something so terrifying about bridges, and heights … something which she could not put a finger to.

It was here, when she was so deeply engrossed in thought, when it happened. Her orientation shifted, as the rail car steered off course.

She felt herself hurdle down to the side, crashing down near the door.

She didn't know how long she was there, laying in the train, but it wasn't long before she heard the voice of the human arachnid himself.

"_hey hey! Do not worry passengers! This is a rescue mission, please do not resist!"_

It wasn't long before the passengers were out of harm's way, and Gwen in the concerned arms of her Police Chief father.

"_spider-man saved me!"_ she heard a passenger tell a news anchor.

And she gritted her teeth. He might've saved their lives, but New York Transport Infrastructure? Not so much.

She sighed. She was starting to sound like Jonah Jameson.

* * *

Gwen Stacy loved Peter Parker, but his cowardice often times brought out the worst of her.

She never understood why he ran away whenever there was trouble. Why he never stayed back to help, and faced things like – and she hated to say it – like a_ real man_.

Perhaps because he wasn't a man, perhaps because he was just a boy.

It was after the 5th or 6th time he did this that Gwen began to ignore him; not that they were exactly talking to begin with… but it was the best she got, so she did it.

She ignored him when he spoke in class, and excused herself whenever Harry would stop by his lunch table.

She ignored the melancholy in his eyes, and the bruises underneath them. She ignored the cut wrists… or cheek, or arm, and suppressed any dwindling questions she had about his abrupt and sporadic disappearances.

And so, when a giant 'space-monster-ring-ship' zapped itself into New York City, it came at no surprise that Mr. Peter Parker had disappeared.

Leaving his friends, leaving his family, leaving… **her, **there to rot; there to _**die. **_

And yet she still hoped he was alive somewhere.

Even when she the world around her began crumble, even when she felt herself turning into nothing more than dust, in her final moments she said a silent prayer for the young boy….

that when the devil came for his share, he came for her.

* * *

Gwen Stacy was supposed to hate Spider-Man, but now she begged to differ.

She was alive, she was breathing. She could hear the sound of birds, and smell the salty scent of the New York Bay; and for christ's sake she was here, she was _**alive.**_

A million sensations ran through her; a trillion thoughts zipping through her mind.

Her first thought was to thank them… the Avenger, Spider-Man… whatever hero, whatever god existed.

But instead she stood there.

Frozen, as she saw her friends come back to life; like chess pieces being put back on the board.

She broke out a small smile. _She was __**alive.**_

_Which meant so was he_

_(and in that moment, that was all that mattered)_

* * *

Peter Parker loved Michelle Jones.

Or at least that was what Harry told her.

"_so they're dating, dating?" _she asks one chilly autumn morning, gazing over at the new couple.

Harry nods, "_oh yeah. From what I hear, they got __**pretty**__ romantic in Venice!"_

"_oh."_

That was all she could let out. She wasn't too sure if she was disappointed or relieved.

But it felt as if someone had ripped out her soul, leaving a gapping void.

Perhaps this meant that she always loved him, or perhaps she never did. Maybe this was how it was meant to be, and how she was supposed to live; to be resorted as a _**side character**_ in the life of Peter Parker.

Perhaps they were never meant to cross paths; that would explain the lack of interaction.

"_they're adorable together." _she says, her voice barely cracking.

"_yeah yeah whatever. Anyway, Flash and I are gonna get some lunch. Join us?" _

Gwen nodded, taking one last glance before turning to walk the other way.

This is where Gwen Stacy didn't really love Peter Parker, and so she forgot him.

**(**_**or at least tried to)**_


End file.
